A bet with consequences
by KingBooHoo
Summary: Apollo and Athena work together for over 6 months now. Since they still don't know that much about each other and being a lawyer isn't always as exciting as in a court, Athena came up with a fun idea. A bet. They start learning more about each other, maybe more than they expected... / Justicykes / takes place directly after Dual Destinies
1. The bet

Heyy ... Ahem... My second story xD So this is technically meant to be a sequel to my first story ("Still a kid, huh?") and I would recommend reading that first. It's still understandable without reading it though. This is the first chapter. A few more will be coming soon if I find enough time that is. Anyway! Reviews, tips, tricks and criticism are always welcome! Enjoy reading ^^

* * *

Another beautiful day in California. Well, at least for some people. Although the weather was nice and all, Athena just couldn't enjoy it at all considering the giant stack of papers on her table. Funny thing is: this stack would have been twice as high if Apollo hadn't taken the other half. Since he already finished his last case he decided to help her which she was incredibly grateful for.

At about noon it still felt like they had finished almost nothing. Athena couldn't help it anymore and let out a loud groan.

"Apollooooo! Why is paperwork so booooring?", she said almost slamming her head on the table.

The other attorney sighed. This was definitely not the first time where she was that impatient. Being the older one Apollo always had to pull out the card of good sense.

"Athena, I know this isn't the most exciting part of being an attorney but you gotta pull through. I promise I help as much as I can" He continued to fill out the paper in front of his nose without looking at her before he heard another groan followed by a squeaky voice.

"_So hungry! Apollo! Get us something to eat!"_Athena flinched. "W-Widget!"Apollo let out a chuckle and looked in the direction of his flustered co-worker. "You know, I think you're right though. We could use a little break for lunch", he replied not even a little bit surprised.

Since they work together for several months now, almost a year, situations like these became more common. Although sometimes it was Athena's turn to tease him, for example about all the funny things Trucy has done to him on her shows … Well, at least they were funny for her. The two became very close friends by now and they already beat a lot of cases together. It was then that Apollo realized he felt a lot more than simple friendship towards the girl. Until now he didn't give it a second thought, simply because he doubted she would feel something similar. Little did he know…

The two lawyers approached Eldoon's noodle stand as the sun still covered the streets in a warm and comfortable light. It was pretty empty around here as usual. Though despite the lawyers asking him about his wellbeing, he said he had no problems getting along. It seems like the customers he has, are enough. "Hey Eldoon, two specials, as usual, please!", Apollo shouted at the older man behind the counter.

"Ah, welcome you two. Two specials coming immediately!", he answered while still having his head somewhere below the counter. The older attorney brought out his wallet and put enough money for both of them on the counter, already having a smile on his face, because he knew what would come next: Athena protesting. "No! Not again Apollo! You already treated me the last time. Let me at least pay for myself!" He couldn't help but laugh. "Not a chance Athena, you heard Widget. It said _I_ should get us something, not _we_ should get us something, right?"

Athena's head lit up again, as her senior companion continued to laugh. "Y-You're having way too much fun with this!", she replied while still being flustered. Eventually, Apollo calmed himself and they sat down and ate.  
Sometimes Athena and Apollo end up almost not talking while eating and sometimes they tell each other stories about their lifes before they met each other. Looks like today was a talkative day.

"Wait? You PUNCHED him? Really? And he still offered you to work with him?", Athena exclaimed surprised.

"Yes, well… Mr. Wright was way more mysterious a few years ago. I understood almost nothing he did and why he did it", he answered lifting an eyebrow. "More mysterious? I didn't know that was even possible" The two shared a laughter. "We should probably go back to work", Apollo said as he stood up from the table. Athena pouted. "Aw man. I don't want to..."

"Athena, please. You know life isn't only about fun" She sighed and got up too. "I guess you're right", she replied as they made their way back to the office.

"Hmm, well maybe this could be a bit more fun with a bet", Athena suggested grinning into Apollo's face. "Athena, I don't bet", he said dryly. She thought for a brief moment before she shook her head.

"No, no, no! Not about money or something" After Apollo still had the same look on his face she sighed and dropped her head slightly.

"And nothing with Trucys magic show, I promise! I just thought we could make this more interesting...", she scratched her elbow while still looking at the ground. Apollo felt like he had to do it no matter what she would suggest and even though she already excluded a lot of things that he hated, he still had his suspicions. It felt like she really needed this after a lot of paperwork and he didn't want to be mean at that point. Especially because Apollo cared deeply about her.

"Okay… What do you suggest?", he finally asked. One could clearly see Athena's expression lit up.

"Well, something simple. You know we have the day off tomorrow right?"

"Yes, sure. The one where I still don't have an idea what I'm gonna do", he said while sounding almost a bit depressed. "That's actually great! Listen, let's make it like this: The one who gets more of the paperwork done until today afternoon decides what we're gonna do tomorrow and the other has to do it, no matter what. What do you think?"

She looked way too excited about this. Apollo knew Athena could be diligent when she wants to but that was new. It almost sounded like she already knew that she was gonna win. Nonetheless, her eyes continued to sparkle. But wait … "Uhm do you mean, we're gonna spent the day together then?"

Athena stopped walking for a second, a surprised look on her face as her face slowly got a deep shade of red. "Oh, uh … yeah! You know as … friends of course. We never did something together without others and … since I have no idea what to do alone..." She continued to ramble and became more flustered while talking. Apollo couldn't help but grin at that. Even he had fun teasing her like that. But he quickly interrupted her anyway. "Athena! It's okay. I was just asking. There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Besides, I would enjoy spending the day with you too… I think"

She lightly punched his shoulder. "Hey, what does that mean?" He began to chuckle.  
"Relax I just meant that I don't know what kind of torture you would put me through if I lose"

"Oh, come ooon, Apollo! It's gonna be fun! I promise!", she said while making cute bunny eyes. No. Not a chance. He just can't turn her down.

"Let me guess. If I say no you're gonna tease me about it every day"

"Ye-… Maybe!"  
"Alright, alright. Let's do it. But don't back off if you lose"

Athena made a little jump."Yay, it's settled then!"  
She was so excited that she completely ignored the opportunity to tease Apollo about how she wouldn't lose this. Apollo smiled as he tracked the jumpy girl with his eyes. This was one moment where you could see that Athena was way younger than him. Despite her normal enthusiastic character she sometimes still looks like a child when she is that excited. The older attorney didn't mind that though, she looked cute to him. Although that is something he couldn't really say to her… but maybe he will one day…

It was a weird rest of the day. At least for Apollo. He never saw Athena doing paperwork so fast. She was practically flying over the papers. One time he ended up having papers stuck on his face because Athena threw them to the left instead of to the right where her stack was lying.  
"Hey that's cheating!", he exclaimed. Apparently the papers were blocking his eyesight. She just snickered, quickly retreated them and didn't take a breath after that. She continued while she still had a grin on her face.

Apollo was amused, to say the least. He didn't really care about winning anymore, just knowing he would spend the next day with her was enough for him. This didn't mean that he stopped trying though. The horn-haired attorney tried his best but in the end, he got the short end of the stick. Athena did two whole protocols more than him.

"Done!", she cried out. Apollo had completely broken out in sweat and looked at her not believing the situation.

"How in the- Athena! I never saw you work that hard", he said dropping his pen. "Well to win a bet, of course, I do!", she replied flashing a peace sign.

He began to grin. "Oh really? I didn't know you were that eager to spend a whole day with me"

She gasped. "Pff. As if that would be my reward. No. My reward will be you suffering through the day tomorrow" The younger attorney just brushed him off. _'I have the distinct feeling that she will be the one laughing from now on',_ he thought.

"Alright. We're gonna meet up tomorrow at 10 am in front of your apartment", she said punching in her palm.  
"Really? 10? Can we make that 11? I really could use some sleep today"  
"Fine… But don't be late! I have everything planned already"  
"What? When? How? Were you prepared for this?"

She chuckled. "Duh, of course. While I wrote my eleventh evidence log!"  
Apollo was speechless. This girl really is something else… "Okay. I'm gonna be there at 11. I promise"

This was going to be interesting. Apollo never spent a day with Athena alone. He was going to take this as an opportunity to learn more about her and what she likes. Since they worked together for only six months now, he didn't really know that much. Wait. He wasn't thinking about her _that_ way, right? Right?

As Athena laid down in her bed she was still deep in her thoughts. Over the entire day, there was something strange about Apollo. Whenever they talked he had this immense amount of happiness in his heart. She felt that for a while now but never really gave it a second thought. But today? She could swear she heard discord in his voice when he teased her today. Almost as if… No. There is no way he was feeling about her _that_ way, right? Right?


	2. Old wounds

Here I am again. It took me a while to do this chapter but here it is! I can already safely say that I need at least two more weeks for the next chapter which should be the final one. Anyway, enjoy reading ^^

* * *

Athena was a bit nervous on her way to Apollo's apartment. This could definitely be taken the wrong way. They were just friends spending a day together right? Nothing wrong with that.  
The problem she had was this feeling she got in her stomach when she was around him. Sometimes Athena barely even notices it but there was something… Yeah, it sounds crazy. She is able to hear other people's feelings anytime but not her own. She just hoped the day would turn out how she wanted it to. With her teasing him about the whole stuff they're gonna do. Of course, the redhead didn't plan to only torture Apollo throughout this day but tiny revenge has to be.

When she arrived at the apartment complex, where her coworkers home was, he was already waiting for her in front of the building.  
"Wow you actually made it!", she teased. "Pff… As if it would be hard to take a few steps out of my apartment", he replied quickly. The next moment he recognized her outfit. She was wearing a sporty looking shirt, leggings and a pair of running shoes. He would lie if he said it didn't fit her.  
"So uhm…. what's with the outfit?", he asked shyly. She saw him flushing and giggled but decided to answer him straight away. "That's why I wanted to meet up in front of your apartment. So you can change your clothes"  
The older attorney frowned. "We're not going to do what I think you mean right?", he said followed by a groan. Athena's grin stayed in its place. "Oh, we are! Quick, get some sports clothes together. We're going on a run!"

This was bad. Apollo was not only in bad shape but he also knew Athena would have way too much fun with this. He can't back off now anyway. A bet is a bet.  
Luckily Apollo still had some sports clothes there. When he changed he could already feel that he hasn't worn those in years. Well, they have to do.

A few moments later the attorney found himself huffing and sweating while Athena ran in front of him while facing him.  
"How… do you… do that?", he coughed. She flashed a peace sign and grinned. "Well, I do go for a run almost every morning. You should do that too, it would help you get in better shape!", she answered poking his stomach. "A-are you saying I'm fat?"  
"No, dummy! Just because you're out of shape doesn't mean you're fat. I'm actually surprised you are that bad with a body like this"  
Young she may be but that might not be an excuse for not noticing what she was saying. Her head lit up. "I… uhm… you know what I mean!", she added.  
Apollo couldn't help but smile. He knows exactly why he fell for this girl.

After they took a run around the district Apollo was visibly out of breath. "Please tell me the day isn't full with things like this", he asked still huffing. "No of course not. I'm a little more creative than that. I can even show you what we're gonna do next"  
With that, she pulled out her notes. "First we definitely could use a shower and different clothes. The next stop is the detention center" Apollo gave her a questioning look. "Why the detention center. Don't tell me you actually want to work today"  
"Of course not! There is just someone I want to visit because I feel like I need to and well… since I'm not all alone today, it's gonna be easier for me"  
He was still visibly confused but not in the position to object anyway.  
"Okay… So you wanna get up to my apartment and change?", he asked. Athena tried to not be flustered.  
"W-Well of course. I have everything I need in my backpack and if you don't mind I will use your shower AFTER you did, too" One could hear that she was desperately trying to avoid to give him any kind of firepower.

In no time the two friends showered, changed and were already on their way to the detention center. Since it wasn't that far away they were walking. Therefore, Apollo was still very curious about who they will visit.  
"So… who exactly are we gonna meet?", he asked turning his head to Athena. "You'll see", she replied shortly. He could tell there was something in her expression but since he didn't possess powers like her he couldn't identify what. "Are you alright Athena? Because it doesn't look like you are..."  
She was chewing on a fingernail and then bit her lip. "It's just… you know I wasn't on the best terms with this person. That's why I kinda wanted to drag you along", she admitted. Apollo began to smile slightly and gave her an empathic look.  
"Oh come on. I'm sure whoever it is, they won't rip your head off. I mean Mayor Tenma almost scared me to death when I met him first, this can't be worse right?" He tried to cheer her up.  
"I guess you're right...", she said unsure. As they were talking the detention center showed up in front of their noses.

As they sat down in the detention center Athena's feet were still tapping on the floor. Apollo really wanted to do anything for her but when he tried to say something a door behind the thin acrylic glass opened. In the room came the one and only Aura Blackquill. She looked different than before the UR-1 trial. Her hair was down and she wasn't accompanied by her robot, obviously because she was incarcerated.

"You?!" It was unclear who said it first but what was clear is that both Apollo and Aura did say it. Silence followed. Athena was still a bit shaky but she made the first move. "Hi Aura...", she began a bit weak. A "Hmpf" came from Aura. "Why are you here?", the older woman stated in a very rude manner. Although she now knew that Athena was not the one who killed Metis Cykes, Aura was still in a little mental disorder. She felt guilty but could not drop her mad feelings about Athena overnight.

Apollo could almost feel the tension building and felt like he had to interfere. "Well, obviously we… I mean Athena wanted to visit you to see how you're doing. That's why we are here"  
The purple-haired woman turned her head to the male attorney and then crossed her arms. "And now you have to assist little princess here because she can't do it by herself, or what?"  
That was enough for Apollo. He knew Aura could still be a bit rude but that goes too far. He slammed his hands on the table in front of them which made Athena flinch but Aura too was surprised.  
"Come on Aura you know better than that! I'm here simply for mental support. Athena just wanted to be nice and talk to you to end this hostility and yet here you are making it worse again!"

The purple-haired woman was shocked at first until her hair began to cover her face when her head tilted, casting a shadow on her face. Was that… a tear?  
In the meantime, Athena got a grip on herself and couldn't really comprehend what Apollo just did for her. He defended her with all might. When she noticed Aura's expression she calmed. She didn't need her power to see the sadness in her… deep sadness and she doubted this was only because of the past the older woman had to endure.  
"Aura...", she began. "I know you're still in deep pain and being in prison doesn't help you. But that's why I'm here. I don't blame you for anything. You had to endure a lot of pain, I can hear your heart and I don't want you to be sad anymore. I… I just wanted to say I want to make it up to you even if I might not owe you anything"  
Aura left her head in its position. Dropped with her hair covering her face as she glided in the seat behind the glass. "And why would you do that? You said it yourself it's not like you owe me anything. If someone should owe YOU something it should be me", the older woman stated.  
Athena's expression softened. "No, you don't. There is this awesome thing in this world that is called forgiveness paired with kindness. You might not remember knowing these things very well since you had a lot of pain to endure but I assure you they exist and I am willing to give them to you"

Aura lifted her head exposing her streams of tears on her face. It looked like she was… smiling. "Thank... you" was everything she said but to Athena, it was like a million words. She was happy. Simon had tried to convince her that the redhead held no grudge against her whatsoever but she didn't listen. Hearing it from Athena herself definitely helped. "See? Just please don't blame yourself anymore. I really wanted to do something to cheer you up so I organized something. When you get out of here we'll have a party at the space center. I invited lots of people. My whole agency, Simon and of course your coworkers. I only have to ask one… well, technically two more people. I have to ask you first. Will you join us?"  
The woman behind the glass was stunned. She had not expected this but she knew she will need this and it could maybe be a step in the right direction. "I… I think I would like that"

When Athena was done talking to Aura she noticed something. Where was Apollo? She remembered him defending her in front of Aura but after that, he just disappeared. Well, he definitely gave her the boost of confidence she needed. The young lawyer would have never imagined her coworker would defend her like that. Now that she thought about it, it was very sweet of him…  
That still doesn't explain though why he is gone. As she was thinking Athena left the visitors room only to find Apollo leaning against a wall in the hallway.

"Looks like it turned out to be fine between you two", he said when he saw his younger coworker leaving the room.  
Athena was visibly confused though. "Why did you leave?", she asked straight away. Apollo lifted a mouth angle. "Well, I figured you two could need some alone time considering it's not really my business. There was just one thing I couldn't overhear. A party? And you have not invited me?"  
Athena grinned back. "That's why I said I need to ask TWO people. She and you. So uhm… will you come?" The girl started to fiddle with her earring. Apollo let out a chuckle. "Of course dummy. Why wouldn't I?"

Athena was happy about that but something was still bothering her. "I still hate that I had to drag you here to get this conversation done. NOT because I'm sorry for you or anything just because I hate it when people see me… weak"  
"Wow thanks for that", Apollo replied annoyed before he realized he should probably say something else. "But please Athena. You are the most confident and enthusiastic person I know. You are already very strong and we are all human. Everybody has a weak point, that doesn't make us weak per se." Athena couldn't really see what he meant but before she could reply he continued. "We can learn and overcome weaknesses, only that can make us strong and you have overcome a lot in your past. Just appreciate yourself a bit more… please"

Athena heard a chunk of sadness in his voice. He was worried about her. She blushed at his praise about her and could only say "Thank you, I needed that". Apollo grinned again. "That's what friends are for, right?"

When they walking away from the building Athena turned around facing him while walking backward. "So, let's see how you like the next stop. Our day is far from over!"  
"And what would that stop be?", he asked. His coworker only pointed in the distance where he could see it.

Oh no! Everything but that!


	3. A Rollercoaster of Emotions

Hey! I'm alive! Yes... unfortunately this last chapter took me ages to finish. Going over the grammar and expressions in this chapter was a pain and it's still not perfect. There are still some, maybe even a lot, inconsistencies here but I gotta publish it someday. I'll maybe go over it again and reupload it. Until then I'm open for feedback. Enjoy reading.

* * *

"Please tell me you're joking Athena!"

Apollo was unamused which was the complete opposite of what he should feel considering what was saw in front of him.  
"An amusement park?"  
She did it. She dragged him to the one place where he hasn't been in years. This was the moment for him to hope they wouldn't get to the roller coaster. The young attorney definitely doesn't want her to know this stupid anxiety of his. This is going to be rough.  
"Come on Apollo! I already have our tickets!" she waved at him standing closer to the entrance. He must have been lost in thoughts for a while. Hesitant he walked up to her. "Y-You think this is a good idea?" he asked.  
She turned around a confused look on her face. "Aw Apollo! Don't be a fun brake! Remember: a bet is a bet." she winked.  
After exhaling, he followed her into the park. "Gatewater Land" the sign said. Apollo heard a lot about it. Apparently Prosecutor Gavin and his former band had several concerts in the stadium of this park. Even his boss knew the place from a weird case Chief Prosecutor Edgeworth once solved on the spot. All this doesn't protect him from the roller coasters, though. He just hoped it would turn out better than expected.

Boy was he wrong!  
Their first stop was the haunted house. Apollo isn't that anxious but he was never really into scary stuff. There was one time in the past where Clay persuaded him to visit such a place and back then he wasn't really pleased with it either.  
In the end, the tour through this house was basically him getting scared around every second corner while Athena was laughing at him like crazy. Apollo took the weirdest poses when he was startled.  
One time a skeleton fell onto him from behind a curtain. The girl couldn't help herself and burst out laughing. Apollo looked at her and his horns drooped.  
"You are enjoying this way too much."  
She was still holding her belly. "Well, this is just payback. You were teasing me yesterday all the time!"

A bunch of flying zombie-heads, some guys in vampire costumes and approximately 20 more jump-scares later, they left the haunted mansion. A smiling Athena and a shivering Apollo. She did feel kinda sorry for him since she knew he was actually a really cool guy. Yes, they do tease each other a lot and had their differences but they are friends. Good friends. Sometimes she wonders where their friendship status stands since interpreting her feelings while thinking about him wasn't easy.

Athena was visibly stuck in her thoughts. She woke up when Apollo started waving his hands in front of her face.  
"Huh?" was the obvious word she let out.  
"Are you okay Athena? You looked confused all of a sudden. That's not like you."  
Suddenly her face got beet red.  
"Wh- What do you mean? Can't a girl be lost in thoughts sometimes?"  
Now it was Apollo's turn to grin. "I wonder what you thought about. Was it a guy?"  
He almost was surprised himself with his cockiness. When did he learn to talk to girls like that? Wait, this was just Athena. She is just his co-worker and a friend, right? Right?

Athena was overwhelmed by Apollo's sudden question. She couldn't really tell him her mind was set on him. Lucky for her the older attorney just laughed it off before she could even think about an answer. "Aw man Athena, you should have seen your face!"  
She gasped and then pouted. "That was mean!" the little device around her neck exclaimed. Athena didn't even bother feeling embarrassed about that.  
Now he felt bad and began scratching his neck. "Uhm, I … just wanted to ask where we go next..."  
Slowly his younger co-worker slid back into reality.  
"Oh right! To the western area!"  
And there she goes being all cheerful and enthusiastic again. Apollos horns drooped as he followed her. This girl… he will never fully understand her.

The western area was quite interesting, to say the least. It wasn't that crowded so one could actually enjoy the typical style of an old western town. The big sheriff's office was indeed an eyecatcher. After that, there were several buildings in two straight lines. A saloon where food was served, a shooting range where one could win prizes, a casino with all kinds of gambling games, even a place where you could pan for gold and many more.  
Athena was cheery like a child. They were at almost every stand and building. Even at a tiny museum.  
The red-haired girl suddenly began to giggle at a photo while they were walking through.  
"Wow, Apollo I had no idea you once were a washed-up cowboy!"  
He walked over to her and looking at the photo and then sighed. "Oh come on! I don't look like that!" he exclaimed as she continued laughing.  
"Yes, you dooo!"  
"I do not!"  
"You totally do!"  
Apparently Apollo always had to be the mature one to end these duck season, rabbit season conversations but he felt like a role model to her, so in the end, giving in is the only option.

Even though Apollo had never felt so much humiliation in one day, happiness spread within him, he couldn't tell why… He was wondering… maybe because Athena had a ton of fun?

Up next was the shooting range. "Mein Gott! Apollo! Do you see that big teddy bear? I need it!"  
The horn-haired attorney almost startled at her sudden outburst in german. He doesn't mind these multilingual exclaims anymore but they still catch him off guard.  
"Well then you have to hit all the targets," he answered dryly.  
Athena just proceeded to grab a rifle and start her try.  
After some… okay, many tries on her part she gave up. "Oh man! I just can't do it. Guess I'm not a cowgirl," she said while slamming the rifle back to the table. Apollo felt bad. He was never anyone who could handle guns but was known for his determination. And so he picked up the rifle.  
"What are you doing?" the girl asked him. He just chuckled.  
"Can't I try my luck too?"  
"You already do that in court way too much but go ahead." she joked. Athena knew this was a bit childish but this stuffed bear was something she just wanted for childhood reasons. She sighed and made space for him.  
Apollo, on the other hand, had a special plan in mind…  
Hitting the first targets wasn't too hard for him and gave him a feeling of how this worked. With focus and concentration, he managed to actually hit almost all the targets. His younger co-worker was amazed. "How did you do that?" she exhaled.  
He grinned and then shrugged. "A little bit of concentration can do wonders sometimes. You should try it now and then."  
Athena punched his arm for that comment but then continued to pout. "So what price are you gonna get?"  
He didn't stop grinning. "You know I actually don't really want anything, but I know someone who might want to have this teddy bear" His look remained focused on her as he leaned forward.  
She blinked. Once. Twice… "You don't mean… You… You... did that for me?"  
"I might have."  
The rookie lawyer stayed quiet for a few more seconds to process what he just did. Then she jumped at him attacking with an almost torrential embrace.  
"Oh, Pollo! You're the best!"  
It's not like he didn't expect her to be happy, but for a moment he forgot how jumpy Athena can be but… she never called him 'Pollo' before.  
"Uh… no problem. I just wanted you to be happy."  
She let go and continued to smile at him. Widget set his color to a bright green. Brighter than he had ever seen. Athena didn't seem to feel embarrassed about what she did, though. Could it be? He shook his head.  
"Uhm, do you… maybe wanna go eat something? We haven't checked the saloon yet." he continued. A flustered expression must have been on his face because the younger attorney began to giggle. "Sure thing, let's go!"

The girl just noticed that it would be very impractical to just take this big teddy bear with her right now so they asked the guy at the shop to keep an eye thereon while they were exploring the park further.  
The saloon was filled with people. Some had souvenirs on their person like hats or even toy guns. Overall it was exactly like the saloons on these western TV shows. There were round tables and chairs, a bar, and all kinds of paintings or animal heads on the wall.  
After looking around for a while, they decided to take a seat outside where it was way less crowded.  
They took their orders and began to talk. It was one of those days. Both were very happy on this day for reasons they couldn't really describe themselves. Athena talked a lot about "adventures" she had in law school and about her friends back in the days. This was about to get a bit uncomfortable…  
"So how about you Apollo? What were your friends in law school like?"  
"Oh you know, I never really had many friends pretty much only..." he choked. "...Clay"  
Athena bit her lip and Widget became deep blue. Yikes, that was not what she was aiming for. "I'm SO sorry! I… I didn't mean to..."  
"It's fine." he said. The younger attorney could hear the sadness but also the willpower in his voice. He was not running away from the truth. "I'm trying to get along with it, Athena. It's getting better. Trust me" His face was talking volumes.  
Athena exhaled. "Just talk to me or even Trucy if you need help, okay?" He simply nodded.  
"There was this one thing Clay and I sometimes did when we were at the space center. When we both had enough of everyday life, we had a little spot where we would go" Athena stayed silent and listened not only out of respect but also because she didn't want to risk adding more salt into the wound. "It was amazing to watch the sunset or the rockets going off. There was never anybody there so we could share stories"  
Now she was interested. "Do you mind telling me? Maybe I know it."  
Apollo chuckled. "Of course I can tell you. It was maybe half a mile away from the space center. There was a little forest there with a cliff that was facing the center," he explained. The girl smiled. Yes, Athena knew it. She was never there but she saw it sometimes. Maybe she will…

The conversation would go on for a couple more minutes before they decided to pay and get going. Athena took the lead, taking him to her next station. Apollo made a kind of shocked expression. "You're not forcing me on that thing, right?" he choked while looking at the rollercoaster. "Duh, of course. Come on Apollo, don't be a joy killer! It's gonna be fun!"  
Somehow he doubted that considering his condition.

It already showed while they were waiting in the line. Apollo had soft knees and began to shuffle with his feet. Athena was so excited that she didn't even notice her co-worker's behavior. When it was finally their turn, she pulled him right next to her in one wagon while he made a face that looked like a mix out of an ogre and a zombie. After the safety announcements, they were pulled up to the top. Apollo could already feel his head getting heavier. Throughout the whole ride, he held himself back from screaming since his voice wasn't exactly quiet until it was finally over.

Out of the exit came an overly excited Athena and a wheezing Apollo. "WOW! That was so fun! Don't you think Apollo?" This was the first moment where she realized her friend didn't seem so happy about that. "Pollo? Are you okay?" she asked. He straightened his head and gave her a terrified look. "Uhm… I was before we went on this rollercoaster of an adventure… literally"  
She tilted her head. "What do you mean?"  
His cheeks reddened. "I... You know... am not very fond of heights"  
Athena let out a gasp. "Why didn't you tell me?" She looked concerned even though Apollo doubted she was. Why would she, though? It's just stupid anxiety, right?  
"Don't act like you would have dragged me through this if you would have known," he replied turning his face away from her.  
His younger coworker sighed. "Maybe not. Anxieties are nothing to be ashamed of and one of the heights is very common. Just talk to me next time. Your wellbeing is more important than a stupid ride on a rollercoaster."  
Apollo blinked looking back at her. These were words he didn't expect, but there was one thing he was bothered by. "Why did you say "maybe" then?"  
"Only because you will never get over this condition if you don't face it sooo…"  
She couldn't continue. There was a light punch on her arm. Apollo looked at her smiling. "What would I do without you?" he said sarcastically. The girl giggled. "Well, you wouldn't be here that's for sure."

The last stop in the park was the stadium. Athena knew there was a big concert here today and Prosecutor Gavin was invited too. After this event had been over, they actually managed to catch him to have a talk. He was trying to get the rest of his band together and do something new. Probably even expanding it. Klavier just realized he missed being on stage. "Don't worry Herr Forehead, I'm sure we will see us again in court" he said. The younger defense attorney still laughed at that hilarious nickname the prosecutor had for her coworker. Apollo was used to it by now and didn't give it much thought. Just looking at the laughing Athena kinda made him smile.

As they were leaving the stadium Athena stretched herself.  
"So is that it for today? It's getting kinda late." Apollo stated meanwhile.  
"Well technically yes, that's all I had planned. Did you… did you like it at least a bit?" she asked shyly.  
He kept his smile. "Yeah sure, It was fun actually. I thought you would torture me but in the end, you really didn't."  
"Pff, come on Apollo I'm not a person who solely likes to make fun of people, you should know that," she replied.  
He couldn't help but giggle at that.

"Anyway", she continued, "I know I said this was everything I planned but… Let's just say there is one thing I want to do last. You'll like it, trust me!"  
She began leading him out of the park. The older attorney was confused, but that was not the first time today so he just followed her. The sun was setting and people were on their way home. He couldn't really see the sun since there was a forest blocking his vision. A familiar forest.  
"Athena? Where are we going?" he asked with an expectant sound in his voice. She turned around and smiled at him. "Just come on! We're almost there!" she answered and then started to run.  
"Hey! Wait!" her coworker exclaimed as he gave chase.

As they ran Apollo could see a light at the end of the forest. He knew this way like nothing else. She wouldn't really… There is no way right? But why?  
He was confused on so many levels. The light got brighter until it faded into the setting sun and a familiar place became visible. Athena stood at the edge of the cliff.  
Yes. This was the spot he told her about. The defense attorney continued walking until he stood right next to her.  
"You know..." Athena began "I hope I didn't make you feel uncomfortable bringing you here but I felt like you deserve it after this day"  
Apollo did nothing at first but then he suddenly turned and hugged her. Athena's eyes widened.  
"You didn't!" he said. "It actually means a lot to me"  
She smiled. "I'm glad. Today was really fun and..." the girl suddenly stopped.  
"And what?" he pressed. Now he was curious.  
"I… I don't really want to say it"  
"Come on, you teased it and now you have to. Please!" he begged like a child.  
She sighed. "A-Alright, so… uhm… it's just that… Today may have shown me something"  
"And what exactly?"

"I… may like you more than I thought!" she suddenly cried out.

He blinked. This overcame his expectations but it also kind of didn't. Come to think about it, the day actually went way different than he thought it would. She was treating him like a friend, not like a coworker. The girl even entrusted him with the task of moral support at the detention center.  
After a shade of red, colored his and her cheeks he began to respond.

"Wow… if you mean what I think you mean then… I can only follow up on that"  
Now she gave him a very incredulous look.  
"Are- Are you serious?" she asked with all honesty.  
He nodded.  
"Yeah, I noticed I was actually enjoying this time with you a lot and I kinda grew attached to you"  
For the next moments, they were only watching the sunset until Apollo tried putting an arm around her shoulder pulling her closer. Athena gave into that.  
"Hey Apollo, would you…" it was hard for her to say it.  
He smiled at her. "Just spit it out, tiger. I won't judge you."  
The younger attorney was shaking, but she pushed herself.  
"Would you like to… try dating? Like... see if it could work?"  
He chuckled. "Yeah, I think I'd like that."  
Athena was caught by a sudden joy and she jumped at him bringing both of them down on the ground. This was maybe one of the weirdest but also happiest days in their lives.

After they sat down on the ground and floated back into reality Athena was the first one to talk again.  
"This was maybe one of the best days ever. How about we do that again sometimes?"  
"Sure but I will pick what to do next time" he grinned.  
The girl let out a "pff" sound but had to giggle after looking at him. That's when it happened. Their faces began closing the distance between them.

The sunlight was fading as their lips met and a perfect day ended. But this perfect happiness will come and go again but that is nothing bad. There are obstacles to overcome. And they will overcome them together as a pair, as adults not as "kids". First meetings can be weird and unconvincing but personalities are more complex than that. Apollo and Athena now know this and they will learn and maybe be a fully-fledged couple one day. Right? RIGHT?  
Apollo turned his vision to a sleeping Athena holding the teddy bear. He kind of knew this would work out maybe because of his ability to perceive people's habits.

But for now, enjoying the moment with her in his arms and a beautiful starry sky above them is the only important thing.

* * *

It's done! At least almost. I plan to write a short epilogue to this but, for now, this should be it. This was never meant to be a top story, it was more practice for myself. I am just very grateful for every fav and comment and of course for every silent reader too. I plan to write more in the future but I need to find ideas first.  
Until next time ^^


End file.
